266 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [NOVEMBER 
-hot rooms. where, when moisture is present, fungous growth is 
favored. 
There is a wide difference in shell porosity of Brazil nuts, and 
a positive correlation between fungous infection and shell porosity 
has been demonstrated. Two two-pound samples of Brazil nuts 
purchased at two different grocery stores were tested for porosity 
of shell as follows. The nuts were taken one at a time and dipped 
first in 95 per cent alcohol to prevent the collection of surface 
bubbles, and then plunged two or more inches beneath the surface 
TABLE I 
VERY POROUS SLIGHTLY POROUS LEAST POROUS 
‘ SPOILED 
PERCENTAGE SPOILED 
Cracked | Spoiled | Cracked | Spoiled | Cracked | Spoiled | SAMPLE 
Sample I 
166.75) or 4 BOM Ae Palas Cea bee wie Cleary AEs Te ee 
Ge aie ia wk ya ae Cobia keke bom ae 6 26 Qo festa outs es hee eae 
Ci tn es foci Meaty tice irs) bo iran rae Soman Bear aneurid Byitonnco a 49 Ben Ree 
Bi Ae MUNN bs hs bas $s Oa «hey Ga SARS ek ee ct a 19 
Sample IT 
60 as 2 Dae cies es atl Ga ee Eee Ow 
BN a tee fe ee 21 ig Penny ae ura Pape a 
een) Enron) Rn Recon) Gene 7° ak ee 
ETA OUI bo ei I, | Dead Aaa Mee me 14 
of hot water contained in a tall beaker. The heat-expanded air 
arose in bubbles from the pores of the shell. Table I shows the 
results obtained. The conclusion to be drawn from these data is 
that the most porous nuts are not necessarily spoiled, but readily 
become infected when conditions favor infection, while the least 
porous nuts are much less subject to infection. It is quite possible 
that so long as the water content of the nut is sufficient to support 
fungous growth, nuts with very porous shells may be entered and 
spoiled if storage temperature is favorable. Such infections prob- 
ably account for the high percentage of spoiled Brazil nuts bought 
of retailers whose wholesale patrons have scrupulously complied 
with the ruling of the Bureau of Chemistry when the nuts were 
purchased at port. 
